In 2009, young Lebanese-American Zeina Saab met Nadeen Ghosn in the isolated Lebanese village of Chmestar. The unabashed 14-year-old spontaneously presented Saab with a collection of her drawings; a series of elaborate fashion sketches. Nadeen had never even learned the basics of fashion design. "When I met her, I knew that she could one day become the next great fashion designer. But without means or resources, her talent would probably never be cultivated", says 33-year-old Saab. After that Zeina had but one obsession: to help the disadvantaged youth pursue their passion. In 2012, she founded the Nawaya Project, an NGO that, through its "Talent Program", connects underprivileged youth with skilled mentors and professionals. With the help of financial investors, institutional partners and anonymous donors, Nadeen, the first beneficiary, enrolled in a Lebanese fashion school. Nawaya recently established "Impact Lab", a new project that helps young unemployed Lebanese develop innovative solutions for the problems their communities face. The ultimate aim is for the projects to become profitable, so that these youths are able to take their lives into their own hands.

http://www.nawaya.org